Dibectoby boabd



" 9 -1 I i y QA I A; v v

Nw., n mfg., 1,514,688

D. A. DANCE DIRECTORY BOARD Filed Abril 2, 1923 'd Sheets-Sheet l Nw., m im@ L El?. A.. NCE

DIRECTORY BOARD Filed April 2, l923 2 Sheets-Sham 2 WITH/8858 Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

UNITED STATES v.BARNEXIL A. DANCE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DIRECTORY BOARD.

Application filed April. 2,

To all 'whom t may conc-cm.'

Be it known that I, DARNELL A. DANCE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Directory Boards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a directory board for office buildings or the like.

The object of the invention is to provide a board of this character, whereby each tenant in an oilice building may indicate on the directory board whether or not his oflice is occupied.

A further object of the invention is that the indicating means be mechanically opern ated whereby to insure that no mistakes occur.

A still further object of the .invention that the directory board including the indicating means be of neat structure and duyrable.

Other objects and objects relating to details of construction, combination and arrangement of pants will hereinafter appear in the detailed description to follow.

The invention is illustrated by way of eX- ample in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a directory board constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figure 2 is a View showing in front elevation an upper end portion of a directory board, and also a lower end portion of the directory board, parts of the lower end portion being removed to more clearly illustrate the construction of the directory board,

'Figure 3 is a horizontal transverse sectional view of the directory board,

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view illustrating the manner in which the letters for forming the names may be supported,

Figure 5 is a group view illustrating the operative parts of each signal unit or element, and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary rear elevation of the indicator panel of the directory board and particularly illustrating the manner in which the signal elements are mounted thereon.

Referring to the drawings more particularly, the directory board may comprise a supporting Wall 10 which may be formed of boards or the like, and which is enclosed in 1923. Serial No. 629,443.

a frame, said frame comp-rising the two side members 11 and the top and bottom members 12 and 13, respectively. It will be noted that the frame members extend from the forward face of the wall 10, and that the top and bottom members 12 and 13 are of greater width than the side members 11. Between the members 12 and 13, there is secured a panel 14 which may be referred to as an indicator panel. A door is hinged to each of the side frame members 11, and each door may comprise a suitable frame includ'- ing a pair of side members 15, and a pair of end or cross members 1G, and each frame being adapted to support a glass panel 17, Each door is hinged to its associated side frame member 11 as at 18, and as shown in Figure 1, upon closing these doors the outer surface of the frames thereof is fiush with the outer edges of the frame members 12 and 13 and also flush with the outer surface of the panel 14. By constructing the directory board in this manner it is apparent that a neat and artistic structure is had.

Upon each side of the panel 14, there is arranged a plurality of letter supporting strips 19, said strips yin each instance being arranged one above the other, and extending in parallel relation. Each strip is secured in position by screws 20. Referring to Figure 4, 21 indicates letters which are preferably of metal and in the formation of each letter there is provided at the upperend thereof one or more tangs 2:2. At 23 there is shown numerals which are likewise formed of metal, and also each num-- eral is provided with one or more tanga as at 25, for supporting the same. In arranging these letters upon. a supporting strip 19 as shown in Figure 1, the tangs 22 are bent so that the same may engage over the upper edge of the associated strip 19 as illustrated to advantage in Figure 4. By arranging the tangs the letters are eiiiciently supported and also may be easily removed when desired. The numerals 23 may be likewise positioned.

As shown in Figure 1, each strip 19 is adapted to support suflicient letters to indicate a name of an office tenant and also support numerals to indicate the room number of this particular oiiice.

Adjacent each longitudinal edge of the panel 14 is provided a series of openings 26. rEhe openings 26 in each series should correspond in number to the number of llO f printed. the word ut.

supporting members 19 occurring upon the associated side of the panel 14e., and each opening 26 should be in alinement with the associated supporting member 19 as illustrated in Figure l of the drawing. For each opening 26 there is provided a signal element 27, and referring to Figures and 6, it will be seen that this signaleleinent comprises a strip preferably of metal, which has irinlied adjacent one endy and uponits inner face with respect to the panel 141-, the word in and adjacent its other end is Each signal elei ment Q7 is turnably supported by a. stem 80 said stem having its inner end extended through a central opening' in the associated signal element 27, and having its outer end formed with a knurledhead 3l whereby the same may be manually rotated. As is apparent, by rotation of the stem 30cm each instance, the signal element 27 carried tierebv may be disposed so that either the word ln or Out printed thereon is brought into registering relation with the open-y ing 26.

In the use of the present directory board, the same should be mounted m an office 1 building w 1ere each of the tenants may have easy access thereto, and also in such a position that the samemay be easily observed by those entering the building. The names of the tenants of each of the offices may be arranged upon the board as illustrated in Figure l, and each tenant may manipulate his own indicating element to show whether or not he is in his oiiice. For the purpose of further illustration, assuming that the office tenantis'entering the otlice building in which this directory board is positioned, and intends to be in his otlice for a certain time, he should then go to the directory boardy and manipulate his parn yticular indicator element so that the same would display the word In. lf a per" son should come to this oflice building to call upon this particular tenant then he could quickly and easily ascertain whether the tenant was in. In case this same tenant should desire to leave the building for a certain length of time, and close his oliice, then he should manipulate his indicator element so that it should display the word Out, and thus notify callers that he is out of his oiice.

I claimtl. A directory board of the character described, comprising` a frame, a closure for said frame adapted to form a rear wall therefor, a panel extending longitudinally of the wall andy secured between the end members of said frame, a door hinged to each side member of the frame and adapted to form the closure between said frame member and the Vassociatedy longitudinal edge of the panel, strips arranged upon said wall and upon each side of the panel adapted to support letters whereby different. names may be indicated, and indicating means carried by the panel for each strip, whereby the words in or Out may be displayed for the purposel described.

2. A directory board having a central panel and means on each side oi the cen trail panel for supporting vertical columns of names, and indicating means along each edge of the central panel, one indicating means being provided opposite each name, each indicating means comprising a :dat strip having indicia thereon, and means for mounting the liat strip on .the under face of the central panel for horizontal turning movement, said central panel having an aperture tor each indicating device and through which the indicia of the flat strip may be viewed when the strip is turned so that the indicia underlies the aperture.

DARNELL a. nanou. 

